About halfway between Traverse City and Mackinac Island, nestled just south of Petoskey in Little Traverse Bay, Bay Harbor is about 55 miles from Mackinac Island. Starting and ending your charter in Bay Harbor offers quicker access to the Beaver Island archipelago, Charlevoix, Petoskey Harbor Springs and the Straits of Mackinaw when compared to our Traverse City base in CenterPointe Marina.

Founded by the partners who developed Oil Nut Bay in Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands, Bay Harbor is one of the country’s most exclusive and unique waterfront communities. It’s a mix of private homes and boathouses, a yacht club with world-class yachts alongside a small downtown with shops, restaurants and some light provisioning. For the big stuff, you’ll find major grocery and the box stores just a few minutes away by car. The Bay Harbor Inn is a full service resort hotel on the property and you can also find accommodations through their condo rental management program. 

The marina offers a bathhouse, laundry, ice and pump out services. Fuel is not available and must be arranged prior to returning your boat at a nearby marina at the end of the charter.

At this time we have a limited number of boats based in Bay Harbor and we hope to add to the selection each season. If you don’t find your ideal boat in our Bay Harbor line-up, for a fee we can deliver any boat from our CenterPointe, Traverse City base for a start or end in Bay Harbor.

Traverse City has been homebase to Great Lakes Sailing Co. for over 40 years. Located just a few miles from downtown Traverse City, this charter base offers excellent proximity to Grand Traverse Bay, the Manitou Islands and the many islands and harbor towns in between. For reference, Charlevoix is about 7 hours away via sailboat. 

Operating out of CenterPointe Marina, there are restaurants and light provisioning within a short walk of the marina. The downtown Traverse City shops and restaurants are about 2 miles away and major grocery is just about a ½ mile away.

A bathhouse, boater’s lounge and laundry facility is on site. Pump out and fuel at the end of your charter can be done within the marina basin.  

Keep in mind that with a 7 day charter, both of these cruising areas can be well explored with slightly longer times underway. And if you’re not seeing your favorite boat at the base you want to cruise from, for a fee, we can deliver any boat to the base of your choice.